If you run sales or marketing for a mid-sized business, you know the drill: endless pitches for the “next big thing” in go-to-market tools, glossy dashboards, and promises of pipeline magic. Reality? You need something that actually helps your team find, reach, and win the right customers—without a PhD in integrations or a 12-month onboarding saga.
This guide cuts through the noise. We’ll compare Outboundsync (a newer player in B2B go-to-market) with other top tools you’ve probably heard about. We’ll focus on what actually matters for mid-sized teams: does it make your sales and marketing faster, smoother, and more effective—or just add more stuff to wrangle?
What Do “Go To Market” Tools Even Do?
Let’s get this straight up front. Go-to-market (GTM) tools are all about helping you find customers, reach out, and track what’s working. For mid-sized B2B companies, this usually means a mix of:
- Prospecting and lead discovery
- Outreach (email, calls, LinkedIn)
- Tracking interactions and deals (CRM)
- Data enrichment and cleaning
- Reporting (ideally, not just vanity charts)
The trouble is, most tools do one or two of these things well, and then bolt on the rest (with varying results). Real-world users end up duct-taping together multiple platforms, and the “all-in-one” claims rarely pan out.
Meet the Contenders
Here’s who we’re sizing up:
- Outboundsync – Pitching itself as a streamlined all-in-one for outbound-heavy B2B teams.
- Apollo.io – Known for massive lead database and built-in outreach.
- HubSpot Sales Hub – Big on CRM and marketing automation.
- Salesloft & Outreach.io – Heavyweights for outbound sales sequences and automation.
- ZoomInfo – Data giant for B2B contacts and company insights.
- Lusha – Fast-growing, with a focus on contact enrichment and ease of use.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but these are the tools mid-sized companies ask about most.
Feature Face-Off: What Actually Matters
Let’s skip the feature checklists and get straight to the stuff that impacts your day-to-day.
1. Lead Discovery & Data Quality
- Outboundsync: Focuses on real-time, verified leads instead of giant, outdated databases. You won’t get 100 million leads, but what’s there is usually fresh and accurate. No need to buy extra “credits” for data you can’t use.
- Apollo.io/ZoomInfo: Huge databases—great if you need raw volume. But be ready to weed out old info and bounce-backs. ZoomInfo’s data is the gold standard for scale, but also the most expensive (and contracts are notoriously sticky).
- Lusha: Simple, fast, but data coverage is spottier. Works best as a supplement, not a primary source.
Honest take: If you’re running targeted outbound, quality beats quantity. Outboundsync’s smaller but cleaner data can actually save you time (and embarrassment). If you do mass outreach, Apollo or ZoomInfo’s scale is still unmatched.
2. Outreach & Automation
- Outboundsync: Built-in multi-channel outreach (email, LinkedIn, even calls) that’s easy to set up. The sequences are straightforward—less flexible than Outreach.io, but you won’t spend days learning it.
- Salesloft/Outreach.io: These are the gold standard for sales automation. If you’re running a serious outbound sales team, their advanced features (A/B testing, branching logic, deep analytics) are top notch—but there’s a learning curve, and you’ll pay for it.
- Apollo.io: Pretty good built-in outreach, especially for email. Not as deep as Salesloft, but a good all-in-one option.
- HubSpot: Outreach tools are getting better, but email deliverability can be an issue. Strongest if you’re already using their CRM/marketing tools.
Pro tip: Most teams use a fraction of what Salesloft/Outreach offer. If you want fast, simple, and “just works,” Outboundsync or Apollo are easier to roll out.
3. CRM & Workflow Integration
- Outboundsync: Has a built-in lightweight CRM. Good for smaller sales teams or if you hate over-complicated systems. Also plays nicely with most major CRMs if you need to sync data elsewhere.
- HubSpot: The CRM is the main draw—visual, easy to use, and integrates tightly with marketing. But it gets pricey as you grow, and custom workflows can get complicated.
- Apollo.io: Basic CRM features, but not as robust as HubSpot or Salesforce. Good enough for most outbound teams.
- Salesloft/Outreach: Not full CRMs, but integrate well with Salesforce and HubSpot. You’ll need a real CRM in the mix.
Honest take: If you already have a CRM you like (even if it’s just a shared Google Sheet), don’t let a new tool force you to change unless it’s truly better. Outboundsync is fine as a starter CRM, but you’ll outgrow it if you have a complex sales process.
4. Data Enrichment & Cleaning
- Outboundsync: Auto-enriches leads with fresh info (company size, tech stack, etc.) as you go. Less manual work, but doesn’t have the depth of ZoomInfo.
- ZoomInfo: The king of enrichment. If you need deep company hierarchies or intent data, this is it (but you’ll pay through the nose).
- Lusha: Good for quick contact info, not so much for deep company insights.
- Apollo.io: Somewhere in between—decent enrichment, but not as detailed as ZoomInfo.
Pro tip: Most mid-sized teams are happy with “good enough” enrichment. Don’t overpay for data you won’t use.
5. Reporting & Analytics
- Outboundsync: Simple, straightforward dashboards—just enough to see what’s working. You won’t get overwhelmed with charts you’ll never look at.
- Salesloft/Outreach: Deep analytics if you need to slice and dice every sequence. Can get overwhelming for smaller teams.
- HubSpot: Best for marketing analytics. Sales reporting is decent but can be clunky once you have lots of pipelines.
- Apollo.io: Basic reporting. Good enough for outbound, not for deep forecasting.
Honest take: Most teams just want to know: Are people replying? Are we booking meetings? If you’re not running a 50-person sales org, keep it simple.
Pricing & Contracts: What’s the Catch?
Let’s talk money and fine print—because this is where a lot of “top tools” start to look less shiny.
- Outboundsync: Transparent, monthly pricing. No long-term lock-ins, and you don’t pay for unused seats or “credits.” Good for teams that hate surprises.
- Apollo.io: Still fairly affordable, especially for what you get. Some features are gated behind higher tiers, so double-check what you’re actually buying.
- ZoomInfo: Eye-wateringly expensive, with annual contracts and aggressive sales tactics. If you don’t negotiate hard, you’ll overpay.
- Salesloft/Outreach: Not cheap, and often require annual deals. Worth it only if you’re running a dedicated outbound team.
- HubSpot: Starts free, but advanced features and contacts add up fast. Their “land and expand” pricing can be sneaky.
Pro tip: Always push for a free trial or pilot. If a vendor won’t do it, that’s a red flag.
What to Ignore (Seriously)
There’s a lot of noise out there, so here’s what not to get distracted by:
- AI Hype: Every tool claims “AI-powered” everything. Most of it is just fancy filtering or templates. Judge by results, not buzzwords.
- Endless Integrations: If you only use Salesforce and Slack, you don’t need 50 integrations. More isn’t always better.
- Feature Bloat: If you only need outbound, don’t pay for inbound marketing, chatbots, or a “social media calendar.” Stick to what actually moves the needle.
The Real-World Verdict
If you’re a mid-sized B2B with a lean sales/marketing team, here’s the bottom line:
- Outboundsync: Great if you want to get up and running fast, with clean leads and simple outreach. Won’t win on sheer volume or deep analytics, but gets the job done without a headache.
- Apollo.io: Solid all-in-one for teams that need more scale but don’t want to go full enterprise.
- HubSpot: Best if CRM and marketing automation are your main needs, but costs add up.
- Salesloft/Outreach: Only worth it if you have a dedicated outbound sales org and need the bells and whistles.
- ZoomInfo: Industry standard for data, but overkill (and overpriced) for most mid-sized teams.
- Lusha: Nice add-on for enrichment, not a full solution.
Takeaway: Start Simple, Iterate Fast
Don’t get caught up in the tool arms race. Pick something that fits your sales motion, doesn’t require a six-month rollout, and actually gets used. Try one tool, see what breaks, then add (or switch) only if you really need to.
No tool will magically fix bad lists, weak messaging, or untrained reps. But the right fit can keep your team focused on selling—not wrestling with software. Keep it simple, and keep moving.